


on your knees, general

by antikytheras



Category: Saiyuki Gaiden
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, so established theyre about to get married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 09:57:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13610952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antikytheras/pseuds/antikytheras
Summary: Kenren accidentally proposes.





	on your knees, general

'Hey, Tenpou,' Kenren says suddenly, looking up from the pile of books he's chosen to bury himself under for the next half an hour.

'Yes?' Tenpou asks, kind-of-but-not-really distractedly because while the book he's presently absorbed in is all sorts of interesting, watching Kenren's face on the rare occasions he has to puzzle out his words is even more fun. His general is usually startlingly straightforward and verbose in making his feelings known, and the fact that Tenpou is weak to it is an unfortunate flaw in his character which he's long learned to cheerfully accept.

'You know a lot about how things really work around here, right?'

Tenpou feels his attention getting dragged away from the _Kama Sutra_. The best part is this: Kenren doesn't even look like he wants it. In fact, he almost looks like he'd rather Tenpou go back to researching new sex positions. But it sounds like it's something serious, except Kenren has never been less than forthcoming with intel on the higher ranks of heaven.

Which is precisely why Tenpou sits up with marked interest and a raised eyebrow when he replies, 'I suppose you could say that.'

Kenren doesn't squirm. In fact, he even begins to thoughtfully sort out his current pile of books-to-be-shelved in a new set of organised stacks.

Tenpou watches him patiently, feeling a bit like a sleepy lion watching its prey, until Kenren finally (almost delicately) asks, 'So, like, are there any marriage benefits or—'

Tenpou almost drops the _Kama Sutra_ facedown onto the floor. Kanzeon Bosatsu would murder him personally if there was so much as an unwanted speck of dust on her favourite scroll.

He laughs, far too light and casual. His voice is not-at-all strained when he questions, 'Did Goku ask you that?'

'No,' Kenren says, and the military part of Tenpou approves of the seemingly-newfound steel in Kenren's spine. 'I was just curious 'cos— y'know— it'd be nice if no one could stop me if I wanted to go with you into the emergency med tent when you're— uh— sustaining heavy injuries 'cos of me and all. And maybe you'd be less of a grump if you didn't have to bully your way through the entire medical department whenever you visit me.'

Tenpou outright stares.

_Now_ Kenren loses his nerve. 'Ah, nevermind! It was just a thought, don't look at me like—'

'Subsidised housing, tax relief, eligibility for adoption—' Tenpou notes the interesting expression that crosses Kenren's face at that, and saves it for later so he can continue, without missing a beat, '—streamlined processes for power of attorney and other legal matters, you can try to claim your expenses under my compensation package— though if you make me pay for your Hi-Lites you can shove the paperwork down your own throat— and, given our current circumstances, you'll almost certainly get a request to formally move in with me so that it frees up space for new recruits and then everyone can really start to wonder whether we're really fucking each other or just fucking with them.'

Now it's Kenren's turn to stare, overwhelmed, mystified and almost awed. 'How'd you know all that?'

Tenpou takes a deep breath, then launches into another rant that only Kenren would have been able to recognise as a mini-tirade coming from him. 'Goku asked if he could marry Konzen after Konzen got mad at him for ruining his tax reports, because Nataku told him that he'd heard— from his father, presumably— that getting married made it a lot "easier" to handle taxes, so to speak, and he was very serious when he asked me to go with him while he tried to propose to Konzen while he was having an audience with Kanzeon Bosatsu, of all people, and I think Konzen almost died of embarrassment or pure adoration, I'm not too sure which.'

'Wow.'

'I know,' Tenpou agrees agreeably. 'And then Konzen started chasing me around, trying to kill me, of all people— really, he should know better than that— and Goku asked if I had any books on metalwork so he could get you to make him some rings, and I was a little put out so I amenably pointed out that Kanzeon Bosatsu already got him a ring, it's the circlet on his head, and Kanzeon—'

'Wait,' Kenren interjects, making that ugly annoyed-exasperated frown that he always does when he thinks Tenpou's rambling senselessly again. It's not senseless, it's finely crafted storytelling, and that's all the mental grumbling he gets to make before it would appear that Kenren has learned to teleport from the pile of books on the floor to the space in front of Tenpou's desk. In a blatant act of insubourdination that Tenpou has been known to blatantly encourage in turn, his general slams his hands down on the mahogany and leans in close enough that even Goujun would have thought it entirely appropriate to excuse himself had he decided to walk in through the (unlocked) door at that instant. Kenren is entirely caught up in that particularly incendiary heat that comes with all of their arguments when he yells, 'That doesn't explain why you know all the benefits, he never asked!'

Tenpou smiles cheerily, and Kenren actually shrinks back a little. 'I may have gotten a little curious after that. You're not the only one sick of med's bullshit.' Also, maybe not the only one who's considered the merits of a marriage, and honestly they both know he's the one prone to overthinking their relationship so really this should not be a surprise at all.

'Wow,' Kenren breathes out, impressed. Tenpou's willing to bet his _ōdachi_ that Kenren's somehow always been able to hear all the things he'd never said. He looks a little lovestruck, actually, and Tenpou's not entirely sure whether he likes the look on him. Oh well. He's got at least another five hundred years to get used to it. 'You're almost as much of a potty mouth as me today.'

'I'm in a particular mood,' Tenpou replies delicately, still smiling that same smile. 'So if you don't mind, could you hurry up and decide whether you're proposing so I can decide whether I'm going to bend you over this table and fuck you for the next four hours— entirely dependent on whether my mood lets up, of course— or hide my face in embarrassment and use all those paid vacation days I've never taken in my life so I can go backpacking across the Himalayas for two and a half months.'

If Kenren's eyes start to get a little glazed halfway through his careful rant, well, Tenpou's certainly not about to complain.

He leans back with a lazy smile that's more genuine than he'd care to admit. There's a matching pair of rings he'd found during one of his independent expeditions to the surface world hiding in the bottom drawer where Kenren had never needed to clean before, but Tenpou would be damned if he vocally admits he's been wondering about this for a while too.

Instead, he pulls open the drawer and scoops up the ring he'd chosen for himself (after some careful deliberation he'd vehemently deny ever having spent his time on) and tosses it over to Kenren, who catches it like it's the most important pile of hot coals he's ever had to handle in his life. He slips the ring he'd picked out for Kenren into the pocket of his coat.

Then Tenpou smirks, sure-and-lazy in the oddly sweet warmth of domestic victory (and inevitable very-good sex), and issues his dumbstruck general a final order.

'Get down on one knee, I want this done properly.'

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i'm too young to know about marriage so we'll just pretend that heaven's on the same wavelength as me okay
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> [twitter](https://twitter.com/_antikytheras)


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